Angel of Light: Hey….looky what I just found….. J L hehe….anyways……Next chapter! Ideas are always welcomed too!

Kari finally found some time to go and visit T.K. There had been so many injuries, and she was one of the more experienced medical workers. She was becoming weary, because she was rarely given a break, and the news about her brother strained her greatly. One of the others assistants noticed this, and told her to take a break. Under normal circumstances, she would have turned the offer down, but this time she took the offer graciously. Kari took no time in going to visit the boy she loved.

T.K. was staring at the I.V. line then ran through his arm, Davis was sleeping, and Tate was in surgery. Kari could only giggle because it was a funny sight. The poor man was bored out of his wits, and had nothing else to do. He was so engrossed in this, that he didn't even notice her come in. Only when she laughed, did he come out of his trance.

"Kari!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I thought you'd dropped off the face of the earth or something."

"I'd have to say the same for you, mister." she said smiling. She closed the door, and her expression softened as she approached his bedside. She closed he curtain, and sat down. "I was so afraid I'd lose you……"

He reached out and placed his hand on hers. "I wouldn't leave you."

The two just looked at each other for a few moments, not really needing to say anything. T.K. pulled himself into a sitting position, despite what Kari and the rest of his body had to say about it. This process took a few minutes, but when he was finally up, he just smiled at her.

Kari couldn't be mad. That smile…..it always melted her heart, and he knew it. She went over, and sat beside him. He put his arm around her, and she cuddled close to him. Again, they fell silent, just enjoying the other's presence.

*~*~*~*

Sora stayed in her home. She hadn't seen Kari in days, because the girl was always working. She envied her, for Kari had been reunited with her love, while she had to wonder if hers was even still alive. Sora couldn't cry, for there were no more tears left. She wasn't crying because she was sad he would never come back, but because she was scared.

As she lay on the bed in the darkness, something told her he was still out there, still alive. She didn't know what it was, but it was there.

"That's it", Sora said, determined. "I'm not going to stay here and wait, and let fate take it's course. I'll find him, or die trying." But what was she to do?

Then, it hit her. The ship! It was leaving again that night, back for the battle field. She would sneak onto it, and then find him. She would have to hurry, and it was risky, but it was the only way to get him. She packed a few things, just enough for a few days, and brought all the money she and Tai owned. She didn't care if he would be mad. He'd just have to get over it.

Sora stole away under the cover of night, and sneaked into the harbour. As she suspected, there was no one keeping a real watch over the ship. Yes, there were crewmen making final preparations, but they wouldn't bother her. She found the boarding place into the cargo hold, and carefully found her way inside. She pulled out the blanket se had brought, and laid it out behind some crates. This would just have to be her make-shift bed. She laid down, and covered her self with another. Memories and plans filled her head.

*~*~*~*

Tai finally realized what they were doing. He and the other captured men were being used as slaves. They had been brought to a slave camp, were they were given endless work, and little water, food, or rest. Each man had been stripped of his pride, in front of a crowd in the nearby town square. Their badges and weapons were stripped from them, and they were flogged and beaten. All of the soldiers, on the 'good' side anyways, were now covered in stripes, from where the whips had been cracked across their bodies.

The slave camp was just temporary though. Here, they would be observed and tested, and if you didn't meet standards, you were tortured and killed. That was all that these men delighted in, they gloated in the incentive of human blood.

After this, they would be all paraded through the town, along the slaves form other camps and various places, then held in the town square. Here, an annual slave auction was held. People bid for the men, to work on the farms, build things, or even simply for torture. If you were not bought, you would be sent into a vast chamber, and they would gas you. That was the fear of many. This event was to be held in a couple of weeks, so everyone was being worked even harder.

Tai had been assigned to forming blocks from stone. These would then be used for building. Each day, a certain amount had to be made, and each had to meet a certain standard. No one would rest until that was met.

Surprisingly, Tai and Matt had been assigned to the same job. They worked close to each other, and exchanged words whenever possible. It was forbidden to talk to another, for they were afraid of having some escape. The two men had also managed to find Ken, who was making the cement.

"We gotta get out of here, Matt. No matter what, our lives promise to be miserable. I'd rather die trying to escape then live out my life as a slave." Tai whispered when they were unattended.

"Yeah, but we should wait. They're watching us like hawks, and we've got to get Ken too. We can't just leave him here."

Tai nodded, and was about to speak, but a guard came near. He didn't look too happy, and a whip was coiled in his hands.

*~*~*~*

Davis was starting to wake up. He had to think for a while, to remember where he was. He looked over the room, to see and empty bed on one side, and a closed curtain on the other. He knew T.K. was there, and he wasn't alone. Davis could here quiet murmurs, and the sound of, well, kissing. Immediately he knew who the other person was.

"Okay you two, I'm awake now. You can stop." He said groggily.

"Aw, but were having so much fun", said T.K. in a mock complaint.

"Yeah well, I'd better go." Davis knew who she was, but never heard her name.

Kari slid the curtain open, and gave him one last smile. She then left, and resumed her work.

"So what's her name?" Davis asked T.K.

"Kari." He replied dreamily.

"She's a real looker……." Davis commented.

T.K. shot him a warning glance. "Don't even think about it."

"Hey! I was just saying that. I wasn't implying anything." He said defensively. "Besides, don't you think so?"

"Why do you think I'm marrying her?"

Davis opened his mouth to say something, but words failed to come.

The door slowly opened, and none other than Kari popped in.

"Bet you weren't expecting me." she remarked.

"No, we sure weren't. What are you doing here?" T.K. asked.

"What? Is it a crime? No, actually, you guys are on my list for check-up. Isn't there supposed to be three?"

"Yeah, Tate's the third. They took him a while ago for surgery." Davis replied.

Kari nodded her head. "You must be Mr. Motomiya then, right?"

"Yup! That's me alright!" He replied.

T.K. just shook his head.

Kari turned to her fiancé, "I'm sorry T.K., but I'm going to have to do him first. I'll get to you later."

He nodded in reply. Davis shot him a taunting look, which he just ignored.

Kari closed the curtain, which she felt bad for. It wasn't that she was going to do anything, it was just hospital policy. The check-up, or rather torture, began.

After half an hour, it took longer because Davis wouldn't cooperate, Kari finally pulled back the curtain. T.K. looked over to see Davis breathing rather hard, and Kari holding some bloodied bandages. Davis looked over at T.K.

"Beware T.K………just because…..she's your girl….don't mean she's gonna go…..easy on you…" He said breathlessly, then fainted.

T.K. became suddenly afraid of her.

*~*~*~*

That night, Kari was getting ready to go. She had taken T.K. out for a walk. He had 'graduated' from the wheelchair, and moved onto crutches. They had walked down to the stables, where he showed her Cyclone. Kari marvelled at the sight of the stallion. She had always loved horses. Cyclone now belonged to T.K., as he was no more good in the war. The two had also become very attached, and T.K. visited his steed whenever he could.

Kari walked up the steps to her small cottage. It had been in her family for a long time, and was beginning to grow old. She herself had lived in it, even been born in it. It was very tiny, just big enough to support the family of four. That had changed when their mother died of a plague that was going around. Tai and Kari's father had to work even more, so he was out for days at a time. The man was a fisherman, and one of the best too. They were a happy family of tree, until that too changed.

Being a man of the see, their father was always out. Whenever a storm came, the two siblings would worry for their father's safety. One day, all the fears came true. The sea had finally decided that it was time to take Mr. Kamiya. The news had devastated the two. However, the town saw this, and pitched in. The miller would bring them grain, and the butcher meat. Tai worked a little, in order to repay them. We had started to work at the dairy farm, which is where he had met Sora.

Sora was the dairy farmer's daughter, and used to watch him as he worked. She admired his strength and will, for she knew his family's history. She would sometimes go out and talk to him when he was working, and the bond between them grew. They became good friends, and in time, became lovers.

That two evolved, and the two got married. That had been a year ago. Now, Kari was the only one who lived in the cottage, and soon, she too would leave it.

As Kari entered the cottage, she sighed. She had been too busy and too overjoyed with the return of T.K. to really think through the situation. She looked over the min room, and began to remember. Her brother had always been there for her, even when he had found Sora. Kari had been afraid that e would pay less attention to her, but he didn't. She grew to like Sora, and was glad he had found someone like her. Sometimes, he would even turn Sora down, if he had already promised to do something with his sister.

That was what everyone liked about Tai; he was always kind to everyone, and made sure that people were happy. This, however, unlike his sister, was not at the cost of his own happiness. Tai felt that he had to always watch her, for he was afraid she would do something, even though she really didn't want to. He was afraid this would get her into trouble.

Kari went and got ready for bed. When she reached her room, she found a small slip of paper laying on the bed. She couldn't recall putting anything there, so she picked it up.

Dear Kari,

I'm sorry I couldn't tell you in person, but I know that you would only try to stop me, or come with me. I have decided to go look for Tai, even if it means my demise. Please, stay where you are, and don't come for me. T.K. needs you right now, so don't leave him. I will come back as soon as I have found him. Don't worry for me either, for I have thought this through many times. I know Tai's not dead, though most won't believe me. Kari, please, you just have to trust me on this one, and let me do what I have to, though it may be foolish.

Love,

Sora

Kari couldn't believe what she was reading. Sora had gone after Tai, and now, there was no way to stop her.